cliff. also president obama's getting ready to speak this hour about an urgent national security issue. u.s.-led efforts to try to track down and eliminate loose nuclear weapons. that's coming up. >>> also, frightening now revelations about an al qaeda plot for a three-part terror attack on the united states embassy in iman, jordan. i'll ask the country's foreign minister for details. he's standing by live. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> we begin this afternoon with brand-new republican offers to try to save the $2.2 trillion and avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. the across-the-board spending cuts and sharp tax increases that hit in just 29 days. let's get straight to our senior congressional correspondent dana bash. she's watching what's going on. dana, the tax rates, first of all, let's get to a major sticking point right now. there's been a counterproposal from house republicans to the white house. you have details. >> reporter: that's right. let's start exactly whe